What kind of changes may occur in the future?
In futures research, megatrends refer to phenomena that, at the global level, are anticipated to shape future trends. In other words, megatrends shape an outlook on what factors will have a real impact on life in the coming years. (Sitra 2024a.)
In futures research, megatrends refer to phenomena that, at the global level, are anticipated to shape future trends. In other words, megatrends shape an outlook on what factors will have a real impact on life in the coming years. (Sitra 2024a.)
Examining such major and slowly changing phenomena of change helps both future coaches and young people participating in coaching to form an overall picture of what is happening in the world.
Sitra’s megatrend reviews compile results from futures reports and discussions as well as from visioning and foresight work, while taking Finland’s perspective into account.
This approach is well-suited for future coaching. A discussion can be held with young people about what is changing in the world and how these changes are interconnected.
On the other hand, megatrends can be used to think about what kind of role people have in the changes and what positive opportunities can be associated
with future changes.
Update your knowledge
However, it is worth remembering that megatrends are always just one kind of interpretation of future trends, and they are not even intended to describe a single truth. A future coach should familiarise themself with foresight information in a versatile manner and consider the visions offered by them critically together with the participants.
However, there is no need to worry. A future coach does not need to familiarise themself with all possible futures information. They also do not need to have ready-made answers or specific information on, for example, technological development.
It is more essential to highlight the abundance of different phenomena and to discuss the insights, thoughts and feelings they evoke. It is a good idea to make it clear to the participants that the coach does not have any definite answers either. Instead, the future is genuinely considered together.
Reflection questions for the coach:
- How familiar are megatrends already? What is familiar and what is new?
- What kind of thoughts do megatrends evoke?
- What kind of emotions do the possible future developments described by the megatrends evoke?
Example of the duration of the exercise: 30 minutes–1.5 hours
Supplies: Prepared material for a brief presentation of megatrends. For example, megatrend reviews are freely available on Sitra’s website at sitra.fi/en.
Goal: Discuss megatrends together. The goal is for each young person to find something interesting and thought-provoking in the megatrends.
Implementation
The purpose of this exercise is to increase the participants’ understanding of change phenomena.
The future coach does not need to be a futures researcher, but familiarity with megatrends and knowledge of them can be useful in taking the discussion forward with the participants. In other words, the coach should also take a moment to familiarise themself with megatrends before the coaching begins.
At the beginning of the exercise, the coach presents megatrends to the participants, for example, through Sitra’s megatrend reviews. The presentation should emphasise the diversity of phenomena and their relationship with each other.
The coach should explain phenomena in as understandable a language as possible and use practical examples. Participants can also be encouraged to come up with their own examples of how the effects of megatrends may be visible in the future.
Reflection
After the presentation, the following questions can be used to discuss matters with the participants:
- What ideas do the things described in the megatrends evoke?
- How does the vision of the future shaped by the megatrends feel?
- Are the phenomena familiar? Is there something interesting about them?
- Do the participants agree or disagree with the megatrends and the vision of the future they shape?
Example of the duration of the exercise: 30 minutes–1.5 hours
Supplies: Megatrend cards published by Sitra. The coach can download them free of charge from Sitra’s website.
Goal: Discuss megatrends together. The goal is for each participant to find something interesting and thought-provoking in the megatrends.
Implementation
Sitra’s megatrend cards make it possible to examine change phenomena slightly more thoroughly. The card exercise is an excellent continuation of the previous exercise, helping participants understand what kinds of things they find interesting or important.
Instructions to the participants
Familiarise yourself with the megatrend cards in peace.
Select one card on a topic that interests you.
Think about the ideas the card text evokes.
- Do you agree with the development described in the card? Is that desirable for you?
- What should happen in order to move in the direction you want?
- Is it possible to influence the development? How could you influence it yourself?
Discussion with the participants on the thoughts the phenomena evoke is important. The coach should emphasise opportunities and positive perspectives, even though it is equally important to discuss any concerns and threats that may arise. Major changes and the megatrends describing them may sometimes evoke anxiety in young people, just like in anyone else.
Tip! The megatrend cards also contain a task card that should be used.
Example of the duration of the exercise: 1–2 hours. The participants can also complete the exercise as homework between coaching meetings, in which case the duration may be several weeks.
Supplies: Some future-related media content that the participants can search for online.
Goal: Reflect together on different future scenarios and what is interesting about them.
Implementation
In this exercise, participants familiarise themselves with different futures and phenomena affecting them by exploring future visions found in the media.
For the exercise, the participants look for media content that is linked to a megatrend or that describes the future in some way.
Suitable media content or output may include:
- a news article, column or other newspaper article
- a podcast or YouTube video
- a novel, movie, comic strip, video game or similar fictional output.
These options are intended as indicative examples. The participants can select almost any media content for the exercise, as long as it is interesting in some way to them and linked to their futures in some way. Everyone can briefly present their choice to others.
At this stage, the coach and the participants can consider the following questions:
- What did the selected media content or output have that felt interesting?
- What is the presented vision of the future? For example, does it have the effects of certain megatrends that can be identified?
- How does the presented vision of the future feel? What kind of thoughts does it evoke? Is there something in the presented future that would seem desirable? What about something that one would definitely not want to come true?
License
Theme
Kestävä hyvinvointi ja tulevaisuus, Nuorisotyö, Tulevaisuustyö, Yhteisöllinen hyvinvointi ja osallisuus
Citation instructions
Rantaniva, A. ja Eerikäinen, V. 2025. Future Coaching Guide. Xamk Educate 6. South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences. Available: https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:oerfi-202509000000780_2.
ISBN
978-952-344-624-3